South Korea's estimated heat-related deaths rose to 36 in 2026 even as heat illness cases declined, The Korea Herald reported, citing the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The 2026 patient count was 4,066, compared with 4,460 in 2025, a decrease of 8.8%. Only two years in the nationwide monitoring record dating to 2011 had more patients.
The estimated death toll rose from 29 a year earlier, an increase of 24%. People aged 80 and older made up 17 of the deaths, or 47.2%, compared with 10 in that age group in 2025. The estimate for people younger than 80 remained at 19, according to the Herald.
South Korea had 22 heat wave days in 2026, fewer than the 29.7 recorded in 2025 and 30.1 in 2024. The Herald said the illness count remained high despite the decline in heat wave days, pointing to the health risks from intense heat.
The first 10 days of August accounted for 38% of reported patients and 44.4% of estimated deaths. Average daily highs during that stretch reached 34.4 degrees Celsius, up 2.9 C from a year earlier.
